Thursday, October 20, 2011

UK Border Agency: Website of fake university is removed

An investigation carried out by Somerset County Council has seen the fake 'Glastonbury University' website removed.
It was feared that the website, which promoted a fictitious university, was being used to target unsuspecting applicants, particularly in the Far East. A London university reported the site after receiving an application from a student who claimed to have a degree from Glastonbury University.
Investigations by Somerset County Council trading standards officers have resulted in the domain name and site being removed by specialist Metropolitan Police officers.

The investigation also revealed that the address given on the website for the university is actually an empty office building in the centre of town, and the impressive glass building featured on the site is in fact a library belonging to the University of Leicester.

The trading standards investigation involved contact with overseas companies and regulators including the Florida FBI, as well as correspondence with central government, and culminated in the domain name's removal from the world wide web. This was achieved in co-operation with the police central e-crime unit of the Metropolitan Police.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Canada attempts to streamline immigration

Canada is currently struggling to deal with a backlog of immigration applications.

The backlog of immigration applications is hurting Canada's reputation as a top immigration destination for skilled migrants. In some cases people are choosing Australia as an alternative immigration destination.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said that the situation was a "huge problem". He has spoken frequently about the need to streamline the application process and get the backlog under control.

A number of hearings on the matter are due to take place before the House of Commons immigration committee.

Critics say that while the government talks about alleviating the backlog, they are also continuing to accept large numbers of new Canadian immigration applications, so exacerbating the problem.

"While Canada continues to welcome historically high numbers of new immigrants, and maintains the most open and generous immigration system in the world, we have to carefully manage the large number of people who want to be Canadian," a spokesperson for Kenney told the Globe and Mail.

The government asserts that since 2008, they have reduced the rate of increase in the backlog through measures which limit immigration in certain areas, such as the investor route.

Moreover, people who apply as skilled workers and have experience in a prioritized job sector are fast tracked and have their applications approved within months.

The people who suffer the longest waiting times include parents and grandparents of permanent residents and immigrants who applied before the changes introduced in 2008.

Global Visa Support offers a new "Canada-Study-Migrate" program, which is the fastest way to get into Canada, please see the details here: http://on.fb.me/n5yNsu